The Jolly surname
In the 2010 U.S. Census, 15,827 people carried this name — #2,306 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 18,600 people counted. That is up 4% from 15,166 in 2000.
In France’s civil register
France’s register of deaths holds 4,901 people named Jolly.
46 of them were born outside France. Those born in France came from 85 départements, most often Vendée.
Where it concentrates, on the mapWhere they were born
Fichier des personnes décédées, INSEE — Licence Ouverte 2.0 · deaths recorded in France since 1970, by place of birth.
In Ireland’s birth registers, 1890
Ireland registered 5 births for the Jolly name in 1890.
Most were registered in Leinster. By the Registrar-General’s own method — births multiplied by 44.38 — that is about 200 people bearing the name in Ireland at the time.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they were born, 1890
Registrar-General for Ireland, «Special Report on Surnames in Ireland» (R. E. Matheson, 1894), births index of 1890 — public domain.
In Belgium’s population register
At least 82 people named Jolly live in Belgium.
Statbel only publishes a name in a municipality when five or more people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Liège.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they live today
Statbel (Statistics Belgium), family names of the population by municipality, 1 January 2026 — CC BY 4.0.
In Argentina’s national register
At least 72 people named Jolly live in Argentina.
RENAPER only publishes a name in a province when more than ten people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Santa Fe.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they live today
RENAPER (National Registry of Persons, Argentina), surnames of residents by province, December 2021 — CC BY 4.0.
In Switzerland’s population statistics
59 people named Jolly live in Switzerland.
They live in 11 of Switzerland’s 26 cantons, most of all in Vaud.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they live today
Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO), «Surnames of the permanent resident population by canton», 2025, opendata.swiss/en/dataset/nachnamen-der-standigen-wohnbevolkerung-nach-kanton3 · names with fewer than 3 bearers in a canton are not published.
In the Nordic population registers
27 people named Jolly is counted in Sweden.
Sweden’s figure is from 31 December 2022, the last count Statistics Sweden published.
Counted, by country
Own calculations based on data from Statistics Sweden (SCB), surnames with at least two bearers, 31 December 2022 — CC BY 4.0 (names with 20 or more bearers shown).
In print
Jolly in American newspapers,
1842–1923.
Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 630,268 pages in all carry the name.
Who carried it
People named Jolly,
with a public archive behind them.
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Alexander Jolly 1756–1838 · priest -
André Jolly 1799–1883 · engineer -
Henry Jolly 1605–1703
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John Jolly 1771–1842
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James Jolly 1775– · draper
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James Jolly 1775– · draper
Wikidata and Wikimedia Commons (CC0) · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.
Nearby in the index
Surnames next to Jolly.
- Jolibois 171 · U.S. census
- Jolicoeur 1,359 · U.S. census
- Jolie 352 · U.S. census
- Joliet 153 · U.S. census
- Jolin 1,405 · U.S. census
- Jolivet 390 · U.S. census
- Joly 1,434 · U.S. census
- Jon 557 · U.S. census
- Jonas 9,043 · U.S. census
- Jones 1,425,470 · U.S. census
- Jonet 180 · U.S. census
- Jonis 114 · U.S. census
When the index is not enough
This page says where Jolly is.
A volume says what happened to it.
Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.